Conference Presentation, Fireside Chat
Diane Greene at Startup School 2013
- The company's trajectory is expected to continue expanding significantly beyond its early stages, with the founding team originally targeting ubiquitous virtualization by the year 2000, a milestone they missed by approximately six years.
- Future product utility is projected to allow customers to utilize Windows device drivers without building every driver required for a PC, specifically when running Windows on Linux via the desktop product.
- A core strategic constraint mandates avoiding dependencies on operating system or chipset vendors to prevent granting excessive power to Intel x86 architecture or complete control to Microsoft.
- Initial pricing uncertainty led to a model featuring a 30-day renewable trial, with projected commercial pricing set at $299 and hobbyist pricing at $99 for non-renewing users.
- Marketing efforts are planned to rely entirely on public relations rather than direct expenditure, based on the product's inherent interest, with no spend allocated for a dedicated enterprise sales force.
- Market entry will be executed through hardware vendors and an "artificial VMware preferred hardware vendor program" established with a specific deadline, while reseller distribution is utilized to mitigate risks of GPL Linux software forcing IBM's software to become open sourced.
- Post-event outcomes at the upcoming worldwide conference, where resellers will keynote and conduct training, are predicted to trigger significant growth in the server market.
- Governance plans include recruiting external board members to assist the company in challenging industry giants like Intel and Microsoft, with the belief that selecting the right people is critical for startup success.
- Litigation involving a rock-solid patent is expected to be a deterrent against acquisition by Microsoft, with the anticipation that a lawsuit would slow Microsoft's progress.
- There remains stated uncertainty regarding the outcome of a third startup initiative, characterized by the acknowledgment that each venture presents unique challenges.